The present invention relates to recessed lighting fixtures and, in particular, to a trim portion of the fixtures which provides for increased adjustment of the direction of illumination.
Recessed lighting fixtures, especially those used in a ceiling are well known. In their simplest forms, such fixtures comprise a housing or can affixed to the ceiling structure, a trim mounted within the housing, and a socket mounted to the housing or trim for receiving a lamp. In a ceiling fixture, the lower end of the trim is flush with the ceiling surface, and the lamp is concealed within the trim. It will be appreciated that the lamp is afforded little possibility for adjustment to enable the light to be directed at a substantial angle relative to vertical.
Accordingly, fixtures have been provided which provide a greater degree of adjustment. For example, a so-called eye-ball type of recessed fixture is disclosed in Canadian Patent No. 547,770. In that fixture, a truncated spherical trim carries a lamp socket and is rotatable about vertical and horizontal axes in order to enhance the adjustability of the lamp.
A so-called elbow type of recessed fixture is depicted in FIG. 9 wherein a positioning ring 10 is mounted to a trim ring 12 for rotation relative thereto about a vertical axis. A housing 14 is mounted to the positioning ring by means of pins 16 to enable the housing to rotate relative to the positioning ring about a horizontal axis defined by the pins 16. That axis extends tangentially relative to a lower open end 18 of the housing. It will be appreciated, then, that the housing can rotate about a vertical axis along with the positioning ring 10, and also can rotate about a horizontal axis defined by the pins 16. This allows the housing to be disposed in an upward or recessed state wherein the lower open end 18 of the housing is substantially flush with the ceiling surface. In that recessed state, the housing is held against pivoting by a pivotable locking arm 20 carried by the positioning ring. When the locking arm is rotated radially outwardly from beneath the lower open end of the housing, the housing is free to pivot downwardly about the horizontal pivot axis. This enables a lamp carried by the housing to become oriented at an angle relative to vertical. Shortcomings of such an elbow-type fixture include increased manufacturing costs due to the housing being of two-piece construction, resulting in a visible seam running vertically down the center. Also, the lamp is located within the recessed housing when the trim is retracted (i.e., flush with the ceiling), so the housing diameter must be relatively large in order to accommodate the lamp.
Other types of recessed fixtures are known, such as a so-called pull-down type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,636,924 and 5,404,297 wherein a lamp-carrying portion of the trim can be displaced vertically downwardly in order to maximize the adjustability of the illumination direction. Such a fixture is expensive, results in exposed hardware, and increases the visibility of the housing interior.
It is clear that room for improvement remains, especially with regards to increasing the adjustability of the illumination direction without significantly increasing the cost or size of the fixture, or resulting in fixture hardware becoming exposed, or the interior of the can becoming highly visible from below.